Flydubai heroes land in Israel after thwarting copilot's crash bid

Passengers on a flydubai flight to Israel thwarted a copilot's crash attempt, landing in Saudi Arabia. Heroes subdued the attacker, and the injured Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, was praised for his courage before passengers landed safely in Tel Aviv.

Passengers saved from a copilot’s apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight landed safely in Israel on Wednesday, with the heroes who thwarted him sharing the story of their efforts after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport.

Footage captured by an Israeli traveller showed passengers on the rescue flight singing and cheering as the aircraft touched down at Ben Gurion Airport, following an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The initial flight from Dubai had been forced down after the copilot allegedly attempted to deliberately crash the plane.

According to The Times of Israel, 166 Israeli citizens and eight other passengers were aboard the rescue flight, which departed Saudi Arabia after spending six hours on the ground. Several travellers received medical attention inside the terminal upon arrival.

Initial resistance met plans for the journey home, as several passengers were reluctant to board a second flydubai aircraft. Although Israel wanted to dispatch its own planes to repatriate the citizens, Saudi authorities declined the request. Mossad officials subsequently cleared the replacement flight's crew, paving the way for the passengers to board, as detailed by The Times of Israel.

The Hero Pilot and Mid-Air Plunge

Medical evaluations conducted by the Magen David Adom ambulance service confirmed that a 51-year-old man was transferred to an Israeli hospital in good condition after suffering upper-body trauma. The captain targeted in the cockpit assault was identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar. Captain Machchhar is a seasoned pilot who currently flies as a direct-entry Captain with UAE-based carrier Flydubai. A veteran in the cockpit, Captain Machchhar brings over 13 years of commercial aviation experience, with an impressive log of 9,750 total flying hours, predominantly operating Boeing 737 (B737) aircraft. Prior to joining Flydubai, he had a distinguished 11-year tenure with an Indian airline, SpiceJet, where he served as a Line Training Captain.

During the attack, the aircraft plummeted approximately 17,000 feet in less than two minutes. A passenger aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight recounted the panic when the aircraft plunged during the confrontation, CBS News reported. "Suddenly the airplane dropped, massive turbulence for 20, 30 seconds, and then balanced, and then once again dropped for ten seconds, and balanced again, and then we saw that, in the front of the aircraft there was a riot," passenger Almog Italie said in his video.

'A Nation of Lions': Passengers Intervene

Citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, CBS News added that “after the stabbing incident, passengers held the co-pilot down while another pilot on board landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.” CBS News further reported that a statement from Flydubai acknowledged the incident, stating that "an altercation occurred in the flight deck" and that the aircraft "was successfully secured by on-duty FlyDubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely." The passengers were subsequently flown to Tel Aviv via another aircraft.

A squad of Israeli passengers forced their way into the cockpit, subdued the assailant, and worked to stabilise the aircraft. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson, Doron Spielman, described how the bloodied captain, lying on the floor, managed to draw on "the last moments of his energy" to release the cockpit door mechanism. "At that moment, some of the passengers who realised something was happening raced forward, entered the pilot’s cabin. They saw the injured pilot on the ground, and the other… the attacking pilot was standing over the control panel, bashing the control panel," Spielman noted.

First-Hand Accounts from the Heroes

Shota Musayev, an Israeli dentist returning from China, stepped forward to treat Captain Machchhar mid-flight. "When I heard screaming, after 10 seconds I ran — I didn’t wait," Musayev told The Times of Israel upon arriving back in the country. "When I came into the cockpit, the pilot was in real bad shape, with heavy bleeding, particularly from his head."

"I was the only doctor on the plane, and eventually I managed to stop the bleeding and stabilise his blood pressure," he added, noting that his emergency intervention helped preserve the pilot's life. Musayev also mentioned binding the copilot’s limbs repeatedly to prevent him from breaking free during the ordeal.

Yaniv Hayun, one of the primary Israeli passengers who intervened, recounted entering the cockpit to haul the suspected attacker away from the controls before assisting with the aircraft's trajectory. "When I went in, I saw the terrorist on the controls, between the two seats. There were no pilots in the seats," he said, explaining that he grabbed the assailant and dragged him out. When questioned about the attacker's actions, Hayun stated, "He was trying to destroy the controls in order to disable the plane."

Utilising skills picked up from television, Hayun pulled back on the yoke to level the aircraft, remarking that "I watch Mayday." Hayun later met Netanyahu and recounted how he put the alleged attacker in a chokehold, pulled him out of the cockpit, and then returned to take control of the aircraft. Netanyahu hailed Hayoun as a "true hero" and wrote on X, "Yoniv, you're a true hero. We're a nation of lions!"

Fellow passenger Assaf Rajwan described the incident to local media outlets as feeling "just [like] in the movies", characterising the situation as "a case of to be or not to be." Rajwan sustained minor injuries during the struggle, praising the collective resilience of the passengers and crew who kept the attacker neutralised for nearly an hour until landing.

Tzvika Manes, another passenger involved in subduing the copilot, recalled hearing screams while his daughter was near the front of the aircraft. As the plane entered a steep dive, passengers used corded headphones to secure the attacker, weathering moments of intense panic.

Lital Shahar, travelling with her four daughters, credited a pair of critical interventions with saving everyone on board. "It was so scary to death on the plane. I felt sick. There are no words to describe what we experienced. Imagine I’m a mother and had my four girls next to me," Shahar told The Times of Israel, highlighting the fortunate presence of the intervening passengers and off-duty pilots. She also praised the warm hospitality and reassurance provided by medical personnel and security forces at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Global Leaders Hail Heroes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, as a "hero" for his courage in protecting passengers after he was seriously injured during a mid-air attack aboard an Israel-bound flight, saying his valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major tragedy. In a post shared on X, PM Modi said, "Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy."

"India is proud of Captain Machchhar. Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength and good health," he added.

US President Donald Trump also praised Captain Machchhar, describing him as a hero while speaking about the incident. Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and described the co-pilot as "perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job". "The pilot was in very bad shape. But in a way, he was a hero to open the door," Trump said. Trump also praised Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun for intervening during the incident, describing his intervention as "amazing".

Official Statements and Tributes

The US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there were "no credible threats" directed at the United States following the incident and said aviation security officials were reviewing existing safety protocols. "We have no credible threats to us right now. We take every incident like this very seriously, and we continue to look at the procedures that we have in place and continue to make sure the American people are safe," Mullin said on Wednesday (local time), as reported by Fox News.

The Indian Embassy in France also paid tribute to Machchhar for his "extraordinary courage", saying he fought back after being stabbed, opened the cockpit door and helped passengers and crew subdue the attacker, thereby preventing a catastrophe in mid-flight and saving 174 lives.

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also hailed Machchhar as a hero, saying he fought back after being stabbed and, despite severe injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and Emirati crew to intervene and save the passengers. "This man is a hero. Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain of flydubai Flight 1073, fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit. Despite being severely injured, he managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save all the passengers. Together, their extraordinary courage saved 174 lives. Indian. Israeli. Emirati. Different nationalities. One extraordinary act of courage. We wish Captain Machchhar a full and speedy recovery," it said in a post on X.

Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, also expressed solidarity with Machchhar and commended the joint efforts of those on board. "Together with Israeli, Indian and UAE nations I pray for the life of Captain Smit Machchhar, the experienced and gifted hero Indian pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073. His courage & the courage of other Israeli & Emirati passengers & crew members saved the lives of 180 souls. United against terrorism!" Azar posted on X.

The Embassy of India in Israel said Machchhar displayed "remarkable courage, composure and devotion to duty" despite sustaining injuries. "A resounding salute to Captain Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of flight FZ1073! Despite sustaining injuries in an extraordinary and challenging situation, Captain Machchhar displayed remarkable courage, composure and devotion to duty, helping ensure the safety of everyone on board. Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Machchhar for a swift and full recovery," the Embassy said.

India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, also praised the pilot's valour. "In the skies above, courage held the line. We salute Captain Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of flight FZ1073, who stood with the courageous people on board and turned an unthinkable tragedy into a safe landing. Our prayers are with him for a swift and full recovery," Kwatra stated on X.

Meanwhile, flydubai will temporarily suspend flights to and from Israel as an investigation into Wednesday’s mid-air incident is underway, an airline spokesperson said, CNN reported. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)